The Fruit of the Pandora Box
by JirachiOfElephantsandWhales
Summary: Loneliness was no stranger to Mogami Kyoko. And then one day, she met Tsuruga Ren, and realized he could father the baby she had always wanted. And perhaps more... AU. (Please check profile for story's status)
1. Chapter 1

Mogami Kyoko stared at the bottle of pills in her hand. She hadn't taken any today, and her lips were tightly scrunched together as she contemplated what to do. Furtively, she gave a cursory glance around her deserted study room, despite knowing the whole house was empty. He had left early in the morning to attend to his busy duties as one of the most famous and well-known actors in the world, and due to his intensely packed schedule, probably wouldn't be back until the end of the day. It was a miracle, indeed, how the famous star constantly made time for her. It touched her heart.

Kyoko had begged him to keep their relationship secret. The last thing she needed was publicity. Many would think, perhaps, that she was dating Tsuruga Ren for just that, publicity. For his wealth. For his fame. She wasn't part of the showbiz world, after all. She had little to no money for herself; her earnings as a social worker were meager. And above all, people – if they caught wind of her relationship with him – would also be certain of one thing: that she most definitely wasn't being with him because she genuinely loved him.

Well, they were right regarding that last aspect.

It had started out that way, anyway. When Mogami Kyoko had first met Tsuruga Ren by chance, she had been awestruck. Having an ex-boyfriend who was a singer pop-star helped, for one, and she'd furiously yet in the end forcibly complied, after Fuwa Sho had effortlessly manipulated her into serving as a waitress (of sorts) at his little party held in his luxurious home. Several other celebrities had been invited, including Sho's rival and Japan's number one actor (his manager had insisted that it would be poor for Sho's public image if he didn't at least extend an invitation to the man, who had shockingly accepted), and Kyoko had embarrassed herself that night when she had spilled the glass of wine she was serving all over his suit.

He hadn't been angry, which was shocking. If it was Sho he would probably have murdered her, or something. Spewing mad apologies profusely, Kyoko had been abashed when the actor had smiled gently at her instead, and asked if _she _was alright. Things hadn't exactly gone better when she had impulsively grabbed her handkerchief from her pocket and attempted to clean the front of his expensive suit, only to realize with horror that she was using a hankie that she had used to clear up some butter from the kitchen counter earlier. For that terrible moment, she had simply stood there frozen and stared at him, her mouth wide open with the hankie hanging limply off her stiff hand. She didn't know what to do. It wasn't as if she could afford to pay him for ruining his Armani suit.

_She didn't know what to do._

And then he had started laughing.

It wasn't a derisive laugh, not like Sho. It was simply laughter – he was amused, he clearly found her a source of humor for reasons she didn't fathom, and so he was laughing. She stared at him harder, wondering if he had gone mad. After a while, Tsuruga Ren had told her amidst chuckles, very kindly, that it was alright, and that she didn't need to worry herself about it.

He was so very kind.

Kyoko had watched him closely, then. He was no doubt an extremely attractive man, with his towering, dignified stature, his silky dark hair and mesmerizing, enigmatic dark eyes, and she didn't need to look past his ruined attire to know that he was very well-built and strong. He was toned and powerful (she'd heard he was gifted in martial arts, even), and very, very intelligent. Too intelligent, sometimes. His prowess and skill as the best actor in the whole of Japan was known to all. He was truly a fine masculine specimen.

He would make the perfect sperm donor.

That was something Mogami Kyoko had been looking for, at least for a while now.

It had started a couple months back, when her best friend, Kanae, had had her first baby in the hospital. He was the most beautiful little thing Kyoko had ever seen, with his tiny button nose, round apple cheeks, and large trusting eyes. She had seen the way the newborn baby gazed at Kanae from where he lay as a clothed bundle in her arms – as if his mother was his only world. And the normally stoic Kanae… she had looked _happy_.

It was a miracle, indeed. But then babies were all miracles.

Kyoko had been envious. For someone who had been alone a great deal of her life, seeing that little scene before her in the hospital ward had been heart-stirring. She wanted to have a baby of her own to love and to protect and to cherish, to have such a child so precious to her that she could spend her life with. She wanted to wake up to sound of its cries for _her_, and to go to sleep at night after singing it to sleep. She didn't want to wake up alone, like she did every day. A baby was what she wanted more than anything else right now.

"You need a man before that can happen, you know," Kanae said flatly, before cooing to her baby, after Kyoko had told her.

The baby giggled.

Kyoko looked stonily at her friend, her usually cheerful demeanor disappearing. "Please, no."

Her brief romance with her childhood friend Sho had hardened her – he had used her feelings for him so that she would willingly serve him and his daily needs then as if she was no more than his own personal servant (or a slave, technically, since it wasn't as if she had been paid), before promptly dumping her one day for a beautiful model he had met.

Men weren't to be trusted. Besides, Kyoko had been raised throughout her childhood by a single mother, and she had done pretty well for herself, hadn't she, without a father?

Who ever said that a father was necessary for bringing up a child?

But a father was necessary for creating one.

Tsuruga Ren was perfect. If any man should father her child, she wanted it to be him. He had the best genes a child could ever want from a father.

And yet she was beginning, over the past month of their relationship, to feel guilty, and to feel other emotions she couldn't understand.

He was incredibly good to her. He was gentle, and yet at the same time, there was a sort of dangerous steel in him. It thrilled her more than she would admit. Lovemaking with him was, suffice to say, different. She wasn't sexually experienced – the furthest she'd ever gotten in that aspect was with Sho, who, admittedly, wasn't bad at all in bed. But all the same Tsuruga Ren was unique; he was careful with her at the same time and yet also very strongly dominant. He left no corner of her body unexplored. He made her breathless. He made her heady. He made her drunk. He made her feel loved.

He made her scared.

Things were going too well. And when things went too well, most of the time they weren't going to last long. Kyoko knew that she was growing steadily attached to him more than she ever planned to in the first place. What did he really see in her? She didn't dare to take in that soft look in his dark eyes when he gazed at her sometimes. Was it affection, like it seemed to be? It was true that she had never had a more doting boyfriend in her life. He was a star, and yet he was dating a woman who was not even in the showbiz world, which was rare of him. She'd known from past articles and news that he had been together with actresses and models before, though their relationships never lasted very long.

Playboy.

The word was bitter in her lips. Was she a new taste for him, him being with a woman who was not part of the acting industry? If his previous relationships had been fleeting, then why would theirs be any different?

Which was a good thing, Kyoko told herself. That was the plan. Tsuruga had told her that he would be heading to Guam soon to shoot a criminal drama, and his stay there might extend up to two months. He had asked her to go with him, but she had refused, saying that her doing so might expose the nature and secrecy of their relationship. He hadn't responded after she had said that, but had simply looked thoughtful, and she had wondered what was going through that enigmatic head of his – he was so mysterious, sometimes. The truth was Kyoko didn't really grasp what Ren actually thought about her persistence in keeping their romance a secret; she had requested it, and he had simply not denied her. That was all she knew from his input in the matter.

No matter. When he headed to Guam – which was in a month's time – she would be ready. That was the time to strike. She would leave him then, and disappear from his life. When he returned he would find her gone. Kyoko's main goal now was to conceive within the remaining time she had left with Ren, and once he was gone for Guam, she would go on her own, with a piece of him embedded in her. He would never know of her pregnancy.

Kyoko inhaled sharply, and placed the bottle of contraception pills firmly back onto the shelf. From today onwards, she was going to stop taking it. She had a month to go, thought she was certain, judging by their active sexual life, that she would conceive very, very easily and swiftly. They were both healthy, and he was absolutely virile.

She moved down the mahogany stairs. It was a large, lavish terrace house she was currently staying in; she had moved to his home since they had started dating. She highly doubted, anyway, that he would want to stay in her tiny apartment, though he had visited her there several times before at the start of their relationship.

Kyoko cracked her knuckles, and rolled her disheveled sleeves up. She was determined to make a proper dinner for Ren today, and with that thought in mind, she grabbed her jacket from the coat hanger by the door and put it on.

Kyoko had never really been an expert when it came to fashion. Much as she loved dressing up, she simply didn't know what to wear, and at the moment she was wearing a loose turtleneck sweater (the weather was getting very cold) and knee-high jeans. A diamond necklace, a gift from Ren, lay around her neck.

The Queen Rosa.

She smiled to herself, fingers reaching to tenderly touch the tiny object lying on her collarbone.

It seemed there were other pieces of Ren that she could also take away with her, after all. Her gaze sobered as a saddening realization abruptly came to her.

No. She couldn't take this with her, and she knew it.

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you, I got this figured out," Kyoko insisted as she vigorously cut the vegetables on the chopping board, the knife pressing now and then into the hard plastic. Her cell phone was currently trapped between her shoulder and her ear as she cut away. "I had this planned from the start-"<p>

"Please, you had nothing planned," Kanae snorted from the other line, ignoring Kyoko's indignant splutters. "All you had in that mind of yours was a baby, and then you went right ahead and tried to seduce him-"

"I did not try to seduce him!" Kyoko shouted defensively. She pouted her lip, sniffing theatrically. Her hands clamped over the cut pieces of vegetable before scooping them up and tossing them carefully into a bowl. "Really, Moko-chan, you know nothing about me at all-"

"I know too much about you, that's the problem," Kanae retorted. "This isn't the way, Kyoko, though I supposed I've told you that a million times before. You-" She paused, and Kyoko could hear the baby – Coco-chan - whining in the background. A few seconds passed as Kanae cooed something to him, and then she spoke to Kyoko again. "Honestly. Are you sure you're prepared for motherhood? It's very tiring, you know."

"I'm always prepared!" Kyoko said enthusiastically. "In fact, I'm not taking birth control anymore starting from today. I'm going to buy the baby clothes as soon as I can, and you know I recently saw these fairy PJs on sale, and it's the most adorable thing, I tell you, they even come with rubber wands, Moko-chan_, rubber wands_-"

"Yeah, yeah, don't drag your fairy fetishes into this, please," Kanae grumbled.

Kyoko's mouth dropped. "Moko-chan, Coco-chan is right there with you! Don't say such inappropriate language!"

"Well, in any case," Kanae said unconcernedly. "What's your plan now? You're still on birth control, right?"

"Well, I'm not anymore starting from today," Kyoko said, more soberly this time. She glanced at the clock. It was nearly nine. He was going to come home soon, and she bet that he hadn't eaten dinner – as always. "He's heading for Guam in a month's time."

"And?" Kanae said quietly.

"That's it." Kyoko told herself that it was the sting of the onions she was now chopping that was causing her eyes to tear up. She coughed. "I'll have to go, then."

"You sound sad," Kanae said skeptically. "Your great plan isn't all that great, is it? You don't even want to leave him."

"There's no point in staying on anymore by then," Kyoko said simply. "I told you, you don't need a father to raise a child. What's wrong with a single mother?"

"Nothing," Kanae said. "But you're cruel, you know."

"C-cruel?" Kyoko stammered, nearly dropping the chopper.

"Using him as your personal baby-maker, that's what," Kanae said bluntly. "I know you have little to no faith in men, but Tsuruga-san is different. He truly loves you."

"I need to go," Kyoko said quickly.

"What? Wait! Is it because of what I said? _Love? _Kyoko, don't be foolish, for heaven's sake-"

"Seeya," she chirped, and hung up the phone with her food-stained bare hands. She sighed, wiping her dirtied phone with a towel.

Alright. It was time to finish up making the rest of his dinner.

It was half an hour later when she finally took out the metal tray of steaming turkey from the oven. She inhaled deeply, and smiled at the delicious aroma wafting to her nose. Her stomach grumbled audibly, and her face flushed, smile faltering. She was hungrier than she'd anticipated. Still, she refused to eat until Tsuruga-san was home, and with that in mind, she gingerly lowered the tray onto the table with oven mitten-clad hands.

Kyoko checked the rice cooker. The small light on its white surface was flickering green, a sign that it was done. Once she finished checking, she heaped the cooked vegetables from the saucepan onto a plate.

She was just about finished when she heard it; the sounds of the sleek car's engine rumbling in the driveway. Excited, she removed her mitts and rested them on the side of the counter.

She opened the kitchen door, and skipped to the head of the staircase, before peering enthusiastically at the main entrance, and watched on as the large oak door of the house slowly opened.

A tall, dark-haired man came into view, his footfalls graceful and sure-footed. His silky raven hair, despite him having been out and active the whole day, framed the sides of his angular, elegant face smoothly. He was wearing a long trench coat, along with full-length leather-tight trousers that clung to his long sinuous legs. A satchel hung off his shoulder.

He looked up, and smiled the tender smile that caused thousands of his female fans to swoon every single time they saw it.

"I'm home, Mogami-san."

* * *

><p>It was strange, she knew. Despite having dated for quite a while, the pair remained on a last-name basis. Kyoko hadn't dared to call him by his first name – she had no idea what his reaction would be, and it felt so strangely informal to acknowledge him as such. Calling him by his first name left her with a pang of startling intimacy that she wasn't prepared for, that she wasn't sure she would ever be prepared for. He never pushed her in this aspect, and had always politely regarded her with the similar formality that she addressed him with. She wondered if he was just as guarded as she was, or if he was simply reciprocating her refusal to breach the invisible boundaries between them.<p>

The only times she had accidentally called him _Ren _were in the midst of the heat of their lovemaking sessions, when the name had fallen uncontrollably – intimately - from her lips. He seemed to have liked it, she realized, for his ministrations on her body always sped up whenever she called him that. But all the same - it was rare for any of them to address each other by their first name in the day.

"You look really tired, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said in concern as she lowered the plate of cooked vegetables onto the dining table. "Was work tough for you today?"

Ren smiled at her. He took off his trench coat, revealing the long black loose turtleneck sweater he wore underneath.

"A little, I suppose," he conceded. "But there's nothing surprising about that." He cast his warm dark gaze on the dishes on the marble table. "And I see that you've done an outstanding job once again. You shouldn't have."

"Of course I should!" Kyoko insisted. "You didn't eat dinner again, did you? You must be starving!"

She had barely finished speaking when a drawn-out growl suddenly echoed in the initially quiet air. The unexpected sound was loud – loud enough that she froze in her tracks. Both of them stilled, and they stared at each other for a shocked moment. Still standing by the edge of the table, she could feel her face reddening as she met amused obsidian eyes.

_Why did her stomach have to ruin things at a time like this?_

He smiled teasingly at her. "Well, now that you mentioned it, I _am _starving. Shall we eat?"

"Stop laughing at me!" Kyoko cried theatrically, regaining her ability to speak once more. She ripped her already loosened apron off from around her waist and pressed the fabric to her heated face, making sure that all her features were covered. "This isn't funny! You're laughing at me, aren't you?"

"Mogami-san-"

"Yes, you are! I can hear it in your voice! Stop it! It's not funny!"

A large adroit hand gently descended onto her small one, and she stiffened as he softly tugged her fingers away, peeling the apron from her crimson face. She probably looked like a tomato right then, with her red cheeks and disheveled copper hair sticking out.

Damned his face! His mesmerizing dark eyes were glimmering imploringly at her, his raven head tilted slightly to one side. She recognized that look; she'd seen him use that alluring expression many times before.

"Let's eat together, Mogami-san."

She flushed.

A few minutes later they were both seated by the table, tucking into their dinner. A companionable silence had stretched on between the couple, save for the sounds of cutlery clinking lightly against their plates. Most her embarrassment had finally faded away throughout the meal, and she munched on happily at last, beaming at him.

"Mogami-san," he said quietly.

Kyoko brightened. "Yes?"

"I believe you know of the upcoming awards event," he responded. "I spoke to you about it, yes?"

"Oh!" Kyoko nodded. "Yes, you said there's going to be a huge awards event held next week, and that you were nominated. It's a sort of film award show, isn't it? Lots of other famous actors will be there too."

"That's correct," he said gently.

"What about it?" Kyoko said, chewing away on her rice. "Don't worry, Tsuruga-san, knowing that it's you, you definitely already won the award! Next week is going to be a great week for you!"

It was simply, she thought, ridiculous to even think that Tsuruga Ren hadn't won. Even from where they sat in his home she could see the accolades and awards he had achieved over the years throughout his acting career situated on the tall shelves around them. The upcoming award show was simply another achievement that he would be adding to his shelves in no time next week.

And that amount would only keep growing, she knew. It seemed his success as Japan's top actor was only becoming more and more immense as time passed. After all, everyone – _everyone_ - knew that as long as his name was etched in the credits of a drama series or a movie (or any film production, really), the result would be certain: the ratings for the film were going to be sky high.

"I'm flattered that you think so," Ren said, smiling. "But no, that's not why I'm mentioning this to you."

She widened her eyes. "Then… why?"

He lowered his cutlery gracefully on his plate, and then gazed at her. Something about the intensity of his stare made her suddenly uneasy.

"Y-yes?" she asked timidly, swallowing.

"I will be expected to turn up with a date," he said, with deceptive mildness.

She flushed. "I-I… Well, if Tsuruga-san really has to, it's alright! You can go with anyone you like! I really don't mind! It's all for work, isn't it?"

"Really?" he prompted gently. "I can go with anyone I like?"

She forced a smile. "I mean - well, yes. Don't worry about me, Tsuruga-san. I'll be fine. I-I won't be jealous, or anything-"

"I see." His large hand unexpectedly landed on hers, where she had been resting her hand beside her plate. His appendage was so big that he enveloped her tiny hand completely. She squeaked, and jumped in her seat, nearly whipping herself away from the sudden contact. "Then may I please have the honors of having you go with me, Mogami-san?"

Her mouth was wide agape, probably showing him an eyeful of the half-chewed up rice inside, but she was too shocked to care. "_Me?_"

"Of course." His baritone was quietly casual, but there was a blunt quality to it that stunned her. "To be honest, I've been considering it for a while now. I believe it's time."

"T-time?"

"To make our relationship public," he said gently. "What do you think, Mogami-san?"

Her face had gone red again, and she was stammering and spluttering incoherently under her breath, nearly choking on her rice. He waited patiently for her to regain her composure, his hand still resting wordlessly over hers.

She wasn't ready for this. It wasn't supposed to be part of her plan, after all. If their being together was made public, what was going to happen to her after she broke up with Tsuruga-san?

What she needed was for things between them to be discreet and covert. Revealing the truth about their relationship to the public wasn't going to help at all, especially once it reached the point of time where she intended to end things with him. She wanted to make a clean, quiet cut. A little slip and she would be out of his life forever. What if the media recognized her later on?

She wondered why she was suddenly feeling a clench of pain in her chest.

A sudden sound rung through the air, shrill against the initial silence. It stretched on, persistent and incessant. Kyoko jumped in her chair, and Ren, who was startled as well, loosened his large hand above hers. Thankful for the distraction, Kyoko blurted out hastily, "Excuse me," before fleeing and making a mash rush for her cell phone, which she had left in the kitchen.

She didn't dare to look at his face.

Once Kyoko had gotten her hands quickly on her cell phone (which was resting on the kitchen counter), she impulsively answered the call without even so much a glance at her caller ID. Her embarrassment and discomfort was still gnawing away at her, and she was desperate to drag things out for as long as she could here in the kitchen without having to return to Ren, and above all, answer his request.

"Hello?" she said, half-expecting to hear Kanae's cool, irritated voice.

"Kyoko." A very familiar masculine voice drawled in her ear.

Her eyes widened as she inhaled sharply. She could already feel her heart plummeting to the bottom of her chest at the caller's voice. Oh no. Almost immediately she regretted picking up the call.

"So I finally managed to contact you, huh," Fuwa Sho said. "You've been completely MIA recently, at least for the past month. You never pick up calls, you never answer texts, and when I go over to your flat, you're never at home. Not even in the middle of the night. Where are you now?"

"Y-you stalker!" Kyoko spat, her fingers clenching over the hard granite of the kitchen counter. A part of her was very tempted to just hang up on him right then, but she had a feeling he was going to call back the moment she did that. "It's none of your business where I am!"

This was not good. She did not want to talk on the phone with Sho when Tsuruga-san was in the house. It was known to her that the two felt a mutual disdain towards the other. Sho had once openly and publicly challenged Tsuruga-san a long time ago, declaring that he was going to surpass the actor in both popularity and status one day. The actor had not even acknowledged his challenge, which had only fueled the singer's loathing towards him. Ren's personal contempt towards the singer had also worsened over time as well once Kyoko had begun dating Ren; after all, the actor knew that she was Sho's ex. On the other hand, Kyoko was also not too keen to let Sho know that she was now romantically involved with Ren.

This was a very, very bad situation indeed.

"Who are you calling a stalker?" Sho snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. Now where the hell are you? You're not at home. I checked. Where the fuck have you been for the past month, Kyoko?"

"And how is this any of your business?" Kyoko shot back. "I'm busy now. I'm-"

"Not so fast," Sho drawled. "If you ignore me, I can make you very, very sorry."

"Oh, is this the part where I'm supposed to be intimidated?" Kyoko mocked. "Sorry, I'm not scared of you."

"If you're not scared of me, then why don't you tell me where you are?" Sho taunted. "Oh, I know why. Someone's terrified that I might find her. Terrified of _me_, to be exact."

Kyoko's jaw dropped indignantly. "Who's terrified of you?"

"Hmmm, let me guess – oh, I know, how about the person who's been hiding from me for the past month?"

"I haven't been hiding from you!" Kyoko barked. It was infuriating, how he could so effortlessly get under her skin, like she was some sort of puppet whose strings were always readily available for him to play with. He was always manipulating her. "I've been – been busy is all!"

"Busy?" Sho asked. "Busy with what?"

"Once again, it's none of your business!" Kyoko retorted.

Of course she hadn't been at home for the past month. She had moved in with Tsuruga-san, which was why Sho hadn't been able to get hold of her. He had no idea that she was staying with Ren, after all. She had a very good feeling, though, that if he found out he was going to go nuts with fury.

"Look," Sho said, his tone grudging. "Let's just say that wherever you are, it's not a good idea for a girl to be wandering around outside alone. Where have you been if you're not at home? Do you have any idea how dangerous your current situation can be?"

Kyoko blinked. Was the singer actually-?

No. He couldn't be. It was just her imagination. There was no way Sho could ever be concerned about her.

"I'm not alone, okay?" she snapped. "Besides, I'm perfectly fine on my own anyway. What do you take me for? Some defenseless sort of girl?"

"Yes," Sho said bluntly. "And what do you mean, you're not alone?"

She straightened, feeling too angry to realize her accidental slip. "I'm sorry? And just how in any way do I come off as defenseless to you?"

"In every way," he said matter-of-factly. "And answer me already-"

"Baka Sho!" she yelled into her phone. "You're an idiot! Idiot_! Idiot!"_

And with that, Kyoko hung up furiously, and slammed her cell phone onto the hard granite of the counter, glowering at the innocent device. It was just like Sho to annoy her like this – every single time he called her he always made her angrier and angrier with his constant quips and taunts. She hated how he always got the better of her in every one of their arguments, no matter how much she tried to keep her cool around him.

Damn him!

Still muttering curses under her breath, she spun around, arms folded grumpily – and froze.

Ren was leaning languidly against the doorway of the kitchen, watching her like a lazy yet powerful feline. He looked utterly expressionless; she couldn't read a single thing from the impassive angular features of his face. And as she stared back in horror at him, all she could think of was-…

_How long had he been standing there? _

"Tsuruga-san," she squeaked. "H-have you finished dinner?"

He looked back at her, and immediately she quaked at the coolness in his liquid dark eyes.

"Who was that on the phone?" Ren inquired, with deliberate slowness. She didn't miss how his velvety baritone had become distinctively cold.

"It was, um-"

What was the point, really, in trying to hide it from him? She'd yelled out Sho's name less than a minute ago during their argument on a heated whim (even if Ren hadn't been eavesdropping by the doorway he'd definitely have heard it from the dinner table thanks to the volume of her voice), and now she was beginning to regret her impulsiveness more than ever.

Why couldn't she ever think before she acted?

"It- it was Shotaro," Kyoko finally admitted, feeling as if she was about to choke on the name. "But it was really nothing-"

"I thought things between the two of you were over?" Ren's voice was flat.

"They are!" Kyoko cried out desperately. "They couldn't be more over, really! He and I, we have nothing to do with each other anymore-"

"Then why is he still contacting you?" Ren said, still in the same flat tone of voice. She could practically feel her skin prickling uneasily as his smothering onyx eyes raked her face intently. "Unless the both of you are now, perhaps, friends?"

Kyoko's head jerked. "No, we're not!" she said at once. "I'd never consider that _thing _my friend, especially after how he treated me! We really have nothing to do with each other anymore, Tsuruga-san, it's just-" She fumbled blindly for the words she needed to express. "Sometimes he harasses me, because he likes making me angry! He's a- a complete _jerk_!"

"When I first spoke to you that day long ago, shortly before we went out," Ren said coolly, "You were his waitress, weren't you?"

"I didn't volunteer for that!" Kyoko said, her hands waving wildly in an effort to convince him. "I thought I told you before, Tsuruga-san! He completely manipulated me into it! He challenged me, because at that time he accused me of being frightened of him, and I wasn't, and I got really mad, and next thing I knew I was helping him out as his waitress to prove myself-"

She swallowed, suddenly too fearful to continue. Ren's toned arms were crossed, and the look on his face was frightening – quite a contrast to his usually gentle exterior. He positively towered over her, she suddenly realized, feeling intimidated.

"You're far too naïve," he said, taking a step towards her. She cowered at his reprimand. "If you continue like this, you're always going to be manipulated by him."

"I know, I know!" Kyoko wailed remorsefully. "I'm trying to change, I really am!"

He moved nearer to her, and she backed away instinctively. And yet he continued approaching her, and she flinched, still moving away step by step while he came nearer and nearer. Squeaking, her back hit the counter, and she froze.

And then she felt his masculine warmth brush past her as he reached over gracefully and took her phone from the counter behind her.

"Tsuruga-san!"

He ignored her, pressed onto the button and browsed through her phone. She wrestled the urge to wrench it from his grasp, but that, she knew, would only seal her guilt further.

"Hmm," Ren commented at last, after a few tense seconds of silence, lowering the phone. "Looks like I'll have to get you a new phone. And a change of number." He glanced at her, eyes impenetrable.

"But, Tsuruga-san-" she spluttered.

"You said you were trying to change."

"I am!"

"Well, this is the first step, is it not? I believe you said yourself that you don't wish to be manipulated by him anymore. Well, not letting him contact you anymore would be the first step."

Kyoko bit her lips. "Well, yes-"

"Then what seems to be the problem?" He eyed her calmly, still holding up her phone with a single large hand.

"Nothing, it's just…" She couldn't find the words.

To be honest she wasn't even sure why she was objecting his request (or if what he stated could even be called a request, judging by the steel in his demeanor). Perhaps it was because she didn't want to be in his debt any more than she already was. She knew that there was no way she could afford a new cell phone, or to buy a new phone plan along with a new number. She simply didn't have the finances for it, and she couldn't let Tsuruga-san pay the money like this. Sho was her problem. She wasn't going to drag Tsuruga-san into this.

Not when she was going to leave him soon in a month's time.

There was a pause, and then Tsuruga spoke again.

"I see." He laid the phone softly back onto the counter. "So that's how it is."

And then he was sweeping away from her, towards the exit of the kitchen.

Her paralyzed senses seemed to spring to life again when she realized what was happening.

"Wait!" Kyoko dashed after him, her bare feet smacking against the polished timber floor. He paused in his tracks, not looking back, and she panted slightly as she came to a stop, before reaching up and grabbing hold of his broad hard shoulder. In contrast, the soft cashmere of his loose turtleneck rustled beneath her touch. "Please don't misunderstand! I do want to change! I _will_ change!"

He turned slightly to gaze at her.

"I won't let myself be done in by Sho anymore!" Kyoko insisted, making sure she met his dark piercing gaze head on. "I swear!"

He remained silent.

"I won't answer his calls anymore," Kyoko ranted determinedly. "I promise. He's such an asshole anyway, why would I want to talk to him? I'd be happy if he rots somewhere! That's right! I wouldn't care less about what he wants to do with his stupid life! Right now, all I just want is…" She faltered slightly as she continued looking at Ren. "Please don't be angry with me anymore, Tsuruga-san."

A flicker of a heartbeat passed.

Before Kyoko could so much as take in his reaction, she found herself letting out a shocked squeal when strong arms abruptly reached out and scooped her small body up. Her squeals rose slightly in volume as her head ended up pressed against the hard planes of his chest, and she could feel her face reddening like a chili pepper at the unexpected contact, and at the sensuous warmth enveloping her body like a wondrous coat.

"Tsuruga-san?" Kyoko whispered, turning her head slightly against his chest.

He didn't reply, and he didn't have to, for the next thing she knew they were moving – moving to the vinyl couch just across the dining table. He glided swiftly, still carrying her bridal-style, and she remained stiff and unmoving in his embrace, too embarrassed to move.

He lowered her gently onto the surface of the sofa, long masculine fingers briefly skimming through her copper hair, and for a moment she thought that he was back to his usual self – the kind, soft and warm Ren. But then his heated lips landed on hers roughly, and she let out a small moan as he moved against her mouth fiercely, unapologetically.

He was crouched above her, though she noticed through a rapidly growing haze that he was making sure not to crush any of his muscled weight on her. She tugged at him closer, her hands going around the dignified column of his neck, and kissed him harder. Feeling his powerful physique pressed against her body was making her feel steadily more and more delirious, and she emitted another breathless moan as he suddenly moved away from her mouth before raining shattering kisses down the creamy path of her own exposed neck. The places along her skin where his smothering mouth had ravaged felt raw and throbbing.

Kyoko whimpered, tensing as she felt his sharp teeth sink into the milky flesh below her collarbone, near where the curve of her breasts lay. Her hands tightened helplessly over the silkiness of his raven hair at the resulting assault of sensations smothering through her veins. And then Ren's long talented fingers were probing the neckline of her shirt, and she nearly choked on her breath as he swiftly popped the buttons below in fluid, unhesitating succession, parting the cloth. His large hand swept across the cotton-clad mounds of her breasts, brushing across her bra.

She felt exposed, and she turned her head against the vinyl of her sofa, her face red. "Don't look, Tsuruga-san…"

She could feel the vibration of his low, husky chuckle run up her chest. "Even after countless times… you never change."

She would have felt more miffed at the idea that he was laughing at her if not for the fact that his adroit fingers had abruptly shifted to the bra strap by her side. His other arm moved around to her thin back, and she squeaked when he lifted her slightly. Instinctively she clung tighter around his strong shoulders, her face flushed a deeper shade of red as Ren deftly undid the bra clasp behind her.

His dark head bent as her bra fell away, and he kissed the slight pink indents the firm straps of her bra had left on her otherwise smooth alabaster skin. His hot lips against the raw skin made her cry out, and she buried her face against his hard shoulder, inhaling his masculine scent deeply.

She loved being held by him. She loved the way he made her feel loved. Until now Kyoko wasn't sure if the latter was simply an illusion for her, but the fact remained that being with Tsuruga-san had engendered the warmest sense of security and happiness she'd ever gotten from a male figure in her life. He made her feel safe. He made her feel cherished. He made her feel so very alive.

But then again, he was an actor, after all. This was what he did best in, perhaps - stirring illusions in his audience's hearts… He was truly incredible, for even she, who had long lost faith in men, had fallen for his show. She didn't even know what to believe anymore.

Only it didn't matter. Whether he truly loved her or not was one thing, but it was definitely true that he was so very good to her. He dedicated much of his life to her, and she couldn't deny that even if he was acting, it was an act that was kind and tender. She owed him too much.

"Tsuruga-san," she whispered, her hands clutching his muscled shoulder tighter. He paused, stilling, and she forced herself to continue.

"I'll go with you to the awards show."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you to all who reviewed! I can't even begin to say how grateful I am to all of you for giving this story a little chance! I know this plot is really quite distinctive from the original plot of Skip Beat!, but I wanted to give my own little twist to it in this AU. I will try my best to keep everyone in character, but then again, their personalities are also not completely the same as the canon version.

Lots of things are not really the same, actually. You'll see! Thanks for joining the ride, and I hope you stick around! I have a lot of things planned, and this is only the beginning.

* * *

><p>"<em>What?<em> You're going to the awards show _tomorrow_?"

Kyoko winced as she moved her cell phone slightly away from her ear. "Yes, Moko-san."

"You do know the implications of that, don't you?" Kanae said disbelievingly. "Are you sure you're ready to go through with this? The moment you step out together with him in public, and during such a highly publicized event at that, it's sealed. You can't undo it."

"Well," Kyoko said weakly. "We _are_ in public right now."

And it was true. Ren had chosen to bring her out for lunch, where she currently sat by an expensive seaside restaurant, waiting for him to return to her side. The Fullor Hotel, which was located directly right beside the restaurant in all its splendor, was truly a lavish place indeed. Ren had gone over to said grand hotel to speak to his manager, no doubt to discuss whatever plans or issues he had regarding the awards event being held the very next day, and had promised her that he would return to the restaurant within half an hour.

"Yes, but there's no cameras flashing all around you right now, are there?" Kanae retorted from the other end. "On the other hand, the Star Awards is an annual event where all celebrities in the filming industry gather together around the globe to celebrate. This is huge, Kyoko. Of all places you could go with him, you have to go there."

Kyoko swallowed, feeling her face whiten despite the soothing breeze across her skin. Patrons around her were basking in the cheerful sun from where they sat underneath the large umbrellas by their tables, and she wished she could do the same despite the mass of conflicts presently prominent in her heart. She pressed a hand to her chiffon summer dress, her sandaled feet moving slightly across the cement ground.

"He says he… intends to make our relationship public," she finally admitted, after a long pause.

Another pause ensued.

And then Kanae spoke.

"_Are you kidding?"_ she demanded. "What happened to seducing Tsuruga Ren and having his baby and then sneaking off away from his life? And you're _publicizing _your relationship? As if things aren't hard enough as they are!"

"Moko-san, please don't say it like that," Kyoko whispered, wincing against her cell phone again. "I know what I'm getting into, please don't worry-"

"And how do you intend to make a getaway from him should you ever get pregnant, when the whole of the media knows who you are?" Kanae snorted. "This is futile."

"Well," Kyoko said softly. "At least I got the main part of my mission completed."

There was another long drawn-out pause.

"What?" Kanae finally exhaled out sharply in response. Her voice seemed to crack slightly from the other line. "Main part?" Koyko could hear her sucking in her breath again. "Right… I remember you told me a week ago that you were quitting birth control. But it's only been a week, you can't possibly already…"

"Yeah, I did," Kyoko said, just as softly as before. "Yesterday night I did a few tests which I'd bought from the drugstore. All three of them came up positive."

"_Tests_? You mean… _pregnancy_ tests?"

"Um," Kyoko said, wincing, "Yes."

There was a long silence on the phone, and for a while, no one said anything. Kyoko wondered if her best friend was even more shocked than she was.

And she herself had been extremely shocked when she found out yesterday evening, in that exact moment, staring at the little pink line under the amber lights of the bathroom ceiling. This was one hell of an understatement. Even now, she still seemed to be in a sort of a daze throughout the phone call, unsure of what to make of her secret discovery. It felt so surreal somehow; after all, she had dreamed of this moment since that day in the quiet, private ward where she had visited Kanae with her newborn baby, and now here she was, sitting in a luxurious, expensive restaurant she had never envisioned she could ever afford to sit in, a few months – nine, actually – away from living the exact same moment as Kanae had back in the hospital.

She couldn't wait.

But first she waited for her best friend's reaction. It was rare for Kanae to ever to be at a loss of words. Very rare, indeed.

"You- you took three tests?"

"Yes," Kyoko answered, as numbly as Kanae had spoken.

"And all three were positive?"

"Y-yeah."

"Does… he know?"

"No," Kyoko said faintly. "I threw them out before he came home last night."

"Oh my goodness, Kyoko," Kanae said, stunned. "You did it, huh? You really did it. You got what you wanted."

"Yeah," Kyoko whispered, and she wondered why the joy that bubbled in her chest was bittersweet.

"The three tests could all be a fluke," Kanae said, almost to herself, like she was hoping it was. Kyoko didn't know whether to be offended or not.

"It's not just the tests, Moko-san," Kyoko forced out, in the same whisper. "It was about a day ago when it started. My, um, you know, have been getting really sore lately. They're hurting, even now. Did that happen with you as well during your pregnancy?"

"Your what?" Kanae said sharply. "Are you talking about your breasts, Kyoko? Mou, you talk like a ridiculous virgin, which is flat-out ironic, since you are most certainly not."

Her face turned a fiery red. "Y-yes."

"So what now?" Kanae demanded. She seemed to be recovering from her shock at last, and her voice from the phone was crisp, business-like and brisk once more. "Are you very, very sure you're going to just leave him? This is a baby, you know. Your flesh and blood. _His _flesh and blood. It's not too late to tell him the truth."

"I'm not going to," Kyoko replied quietly, holding up her glass of water and bringing it to her lips. The chilly water was refreshing, and she lowered her eyelids, savoring the whisper of a breeze across her heated cheeks. Her bronze locks lifted lightly. "I thought I told you, Moko-san. I'm not dragging him into this. I wanted this child from the start, and I'll take responsibility for it on my own. My mother was a single mother, and who knew responsibility better than her?"

"I seriously need to talk to you privately, and face-to-face," Kanae said tersely. "This is crazy."

"You knew my plan from the very beginning, Moko-san," Kyoko reminded her, albeit meekly.

"Yeah. I did, but now that it's finally happened, I don't know what to believe anymore," Kanae said tiredly. "Kyoko, you need to tell him. Either tell him now, or just leave as soon as possible. Don't go to the awards show. You can't announce your relationship with him publicly, then just run off afterwards, carrying his baby, no less."

"It's not his," Kyoko snapped, feeling aggrieved suddenly, for reasons unknown. Her hand left the glass, and she brushed against her chiffon clad belly with shaking, slightly wet fingers. "It's mine. More than anything else, it's mine. I wanted it for ages, and now I have it. _It's mine."_

"No, it's not," Kanae snapped right back. There was mild sympathy in her voice, but she was brutally unhesitant in her response. "At least, it's not just yours. Hate to break it to you, Kyoko, but it takes two hands to clap. This isn't just your decision to make. It's his, as well. If you don't intend to let him make it, then don't wait until he goes to Guam when you leave. Leave him as soon as you can now. I know how you feel, but-"

"Moko-san, I'm sorry," Kyoko said, uncharacteristically calm, "but you don't know how I feel."

There was a short silence.

"Love," Kanae said, at last. The word seemed to ricochet across Kyoko's chest like a lethal whip, and she flinched. "You still won't give it a try with Tsuruga-san?"

"Moko-san," Kyoko said tightly. "Please. We've been through this." Her head jerked slightly beneath the crimson shade of the massive umbrella above her. "I need to go soon. He's going to be back anytime now."

"Soon, Kyoko," Kanae said, in her no-nonsense voice, "We're going to have to talk properly about this."

Kyoko winced. "I know, I know. To be honest, something has been troubling me for a while right now. You see, my mother-" She stopped, and tensed against the hard back of her white chair as a familiar tall, towering figure began approaching her from the distance, moving gracefully. "He's back. I have to go, Moko-san."

"Fine," Kanae said. "I'll call you later."

She hung up.

Briefly, Kyoko stuffed her phone into her clutch, before lowering the smooth leather along the side of the table. She smiled and looked up as the tall, gorgeous man appeared closer before her, dressed in a tasteful velvet dark coat and long skin-tight dress pants. The silky, loose night locks of his hair were slightly tousled by the breeze, and it only made him look all the more effortlessly elegant as always. His fluid, casual movements as he reached the table belied the immense masculine strength and power coiled and leashed within him.

"I apologize," Ren murmured, his obsidian eyes raking her small face intently beneath a row of sooty lashes. "I took a while."

Kyoko immediately raised her hands in protest. "It's perfectly fine, Tsuruga-san! It wasn't a long wait at all! After all, you had to attend to some really important matters, and I understand that!"

He smiled at her, and something about the sensual upturn of those perfect lips made her heart flip unexpectedly in her chest. He lowered himself quietly onto the empty chair opposite hers, and glanced sideways as a waiter – smartly dressed in a waistcoat, as part of his staff uniform - materialized before them, passing the pair separate menus, before holding his notepad at the ready for their orders.

"What would you like to have, Mogami-san?" Ren inquired, dark eyes still on her.

Kyoko bit her lip, scanning the foreign words on display on the menu, as well as the ridiculous numeric figures listed beside each illustration of a sumptuous-looking dish. "Tsuruga-san… All these are too expensive… I can't…"

His smile remained, though his eyes grew softer. Without answering her, the actor addressed the waiter, before making their order for them in low, baritone serene tones. She stared incredulously at her lover, wondering whether he had even heard her – if so, he was completely ignoring her! Why couldn't he understand that she couldn't afford this? Everything about this lush seaside restaurant screamed an entire new league far beyond her reach; it screamed affluence and wealth. Goodness, it was located next to the deluxe Fullor Hotel, after all. All the other patrons were obvious figures of status or influence; they were all dressed in expensive attire from where they sat and they carried themselves with a similar air Tsuruga-san himself carried: dignity. She felt oddly self-conscious.

It wasn't the first time Ren had brought her to such an ornate and expensive place to dine, but it was certainly a rare time. Kyoko had always protested to him that she couldn't afford such places (and she did not want him paying for her), and she just as often made a fuss whenever he showered expensive trinkets or such on her person. The Queen of Rosa had nearly caused her to pass out when he had presented it to her as a birthday gift just last month – it was a freaking _diamond_, after all, and definitely not just any simple, lowly-cut diamond either. Moving into his opulent home had been one thing, but she had always very openly resisted his subtle attempts to give her a luxurious lifestyle that had initially been beyond her means. Ren had gradually allowed her little ways, at least on the surface, though the sly, intelligent male tended to use cunningly discreet ways to coerce her into accepting his expensive gifts and whatnot (the Queen of Rosa, for one).

The waiter nodded respectfully once Ren finished, and he gave a little bow in assent, before collecting both the menus back under his arm and then finally moving away from the table.

"Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko burst out, once the waiter was out of earshot. "I can't afford this, and I don't want you to pay for such an expensive meal either, at least not for me!" Ren, after all, always paid for all their meals together whenever they ate outside. This was the main reason why Kyoko insisted on her cooking their dinner at home more often.

Ren leaned back against his chair, and she stiffened slightly as those smothering dark eyes – it seemed he never once took them off her since his arrival, even when he was talking to the waiter – scanned her face, before dipping to take in her slender diminutive body. Her fingers tightened unconsciously over the chiffon hem of her summer dress, and her self-consciousness only rose further at his very open perusal of her person. He wasn't even bothering to hide it.

"Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko lifted and waved her arm at him, hoping the flush on her face wasn't too obvious. "Are you listening to me?"

The sculpted lips lifted further. "You look very fetching in that dress, Mogami-san."

Alright, there was no doubt that the flush on her face was very visible now. Her voice came out strangled. "Tsuruga-san!"

Ren finally tilted his dark head, and he let out a soft, gentle chuckle. "It's only a compliment. Calm yourself, Mogami-san."

She gave him an affronted look, her pulse racing. "Stop teasing me already!"

He murmured, "But I was merely stating my honest opinion, you know."

Kyoko's flush deepened, and she glared at him. "I've worn this so many times already. It's not even new to you anymore."

"And why would it being new change anything?" Ren questioned, his regal brows raised.

She was slightly taken aback. "I… Well…" She was at a loss of words on what to respond when a sudden realization came to her, and she inhaled sharply, her eyes staring daggers at him. "You're trying to distract me, aren't you? About the restaurant?"

He propped his chin gracefully with a long-fingered large hand on the table, observing her. "Such self-denial."

Kyoko's glower didn't falter one bit. "Tsuruga-san, I won't let you pay for me like this. Not for such an expensive place. I'll pay this time myself."

"Tell me, Mogami-san." Ren's baritone was tranquil, deceptively so. "Do you understand what I intend to announce about us at the awards event tomorrow?"

She stared at him. There he was again, digressing! She wanted to argue, but there was uncharacteristic steel in his unfathomable dark eyes that advised her otherwise.

"Um," Kyoko said uncomfortably. "I suppose so."

"And what would that be?"

Why was he pressing this? Still, she did the wise thing by complying. "That we're t-t-together?" Kyoko stuttered, her cheeks reddening further.

"And what does being together mean?"

Her hazel eyes widened. _What_ was his point? "Tsuruga-san-"

"Mogami-san."

It struck her – not for the first time - then, how ironically bizarre their situation currently was. Here the two of them sat, a couple who had countlessly explored the most physical level of intimacy together under the bed sheets at night, and yet in the day, they were still addressing each other using formal terms. She knew that there were indeed lingering barriers between them that no amount of sex and physical touch could break through – only she wasn't sure anymore if she was the one who had introduced them in the first place, and if so: was she the one who should hold the responsibility of solving them?

"W-why do you ask these questions, Tsuruga-san?" Kyoko said wearily.

"Because you don't seem to understand what it means to be together with someone."

His reply was unruffled, cool, and unhesitant.

"I-I do!" Kyoko said, feeling stung for reasons unknown. "How can you say that, Tsuruga-san?"

"Then you should understand that it is about time, Mogami-san," Ren said gently, but there was also something unmoved in his baritone voice that she was not foolhardy enough to ignore, "to allow me to do more of what I wish to do as your other half. When I make things clear about our relationship to the media tomorrow, I hope I'm making things clear to you as well. I will always buy things for you. I will pay for the things that will bring you delight and pleasure, regardless of their price and value. I will do them because I want to, and if you protest, it shows you do not want me. Do you understand that, Mogami-san?"

The coolness of the Queen Rosa against the feverish warmth of her neck was suddenly an unexpected contrast she had not noticed before, and she resisted the urge to reach up and grasp the little scarlet gem. For what, she didn't know.

For comfort to assuage her guilt?

Fortunately for Kyoko, she was saved from having to make a response when the same waiter appeared again, this time carrying a loaded silver tray. The delicious, mouth-watering aroma of the served dishes wafted copiously to her nose, and she felt her tummy spasm with a strong pang of hunger. She hadn't even realized how ravenous she was until the food had materialized, and her wide hazel eyes greedily took in the porcelain plates of delectable tomato spaghetti and breaded shrimps now sitting on the table before them. The clink of silver cutlery resounded as the waiter, with a gloved hand, lifted a small basket from his tray before distributing said cutlery.

Before long, the couple was left to their own devices once more, and Kyoko lifted the cold steel of her fork, already eager to tuck in despite her initial protests about the restaurant. Hunger was, shockingly, a very powerful incentive.

"Who were you talking to on the phone just now?" Ren inquired curiously, sipping from his glass of water with an adroit large hand. Unlike Kyoko, he did not seem hungry – but then again, Ren's appetite for food had always been ridiculously limited.

In any case, it seemed that – at least for now - the matter was put to a rest.

"Oh," Kyoko said, looking up, already chewing vigorously away on the spaghetti. The hot, velvety sauce of tomato was truly orgasmic on her taste buds, and she couldn't seem to get enough of it. "It was Moko-san, Tsuruga-san! Kanae Kotonami!"

"Ah, Kotonami-san," Ren repeated thoughtfully. "She's a small-time actress, isn't she? Will she be going for the Star Awards tomorrow?"

"I don't think so," Kyoko said. "Ever since she delivered her baby, she's been keeping away from the spotlight."

His dark eyes flickered to her again, and something about the abrupt shrewdness in his gaze nearly halted her in the midst of her chewing. But then the expression was gone as quickly as it had appeared on his face, and she wondered if she had imagined it.

"Ah. I see," was all he said.

"So, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said hastily. She was feeling slightly nervous. Surely she must have had imagined that almost knowing look in his gaze, right? "Who else is going for the Star Awards tomorrow? I know that there'll be a lot of famous people there, the both of you told me..."

He smiled warmly. "You don't have to worry, I'll keep you safe by my side at all times, and if something comes up, I'll make sure Yashiro-san looks after you. As for who else is going…" He tilted his head to the side slightly as he mused out loud. "Almost all the well-known figures in the filming industry, I suppose. Kijima-san - most certainly yes, the President, some famous directors and producers, and of course, Momose-san…"

Kyoko tried not to let her apprehension show. While she was not foreign to the showbiz world (after all, her best friend was a small-time actress who often showed up in advertisements and commercials, and her ex was a famous rock-star), this much publicity wrapped in one go was still rather overwhelming for her. Sho had never brought her as his date during his tours or any music award shows; he'd always said bluntly that she didn't quite cut it for his public image. That jerk.

She didn't doubt Tsuruga-san's word that he would take care of her (for he always had), but all the same she wondered what the other high-standing celebritites would think of her when they saw her. Kyoko wasn't even an actress, or a figure of any standing in the acting industry – this time, her sole connection to the event was Tsuruga-san, and that was it. She was going to be _such _a sore thumb.

Not to mention the names Ren had listed just now was entirely unknown to her.

"Who are Kijima-san and Momose-san?" Kyoko asked.

Ren put down the glass of water, long slender fingers brushing absently against the brim. "Kijima-san is a very well-known, respectable actor here in Japan. Momose-san is an actress whom I collaborated with on my last project, the Dark Moon. In fact, we were nominated for the awards for Dark Moon regarding tomorrow's show."

* * *

><p>Kyoko lay on the soft, plush surface of the hotel King-sized bed, her copper locks pooling the silk opulent pillows. Staying in the suite of the lavish Fullor Hotel had always been an experience beyond her wildest dreams, and yet here she was, sharing one of the grandest and largest suites with her lover the night before the critically anticipated Stars Awards. It was crazy. She didn't even need to check the prices to know that a single night in the Fullor Hotel cost a <em>bomb.<em>

Not that it was night yet. In fact, it was only mid-afternoon. Ren had noticed her unusual fatigue after lunch (he was perceptive to the boot, as always, especially regarding her welfare, be it mental or physical) and had prompted that she head back to the suite for a rest before they went out for her dress fitting in preparation for the awards show. If she wasn't so alarmed about giving off unintentional tell-tale symptoms to Ren about her pregnancy (or that she was actually really exceptionally tired), she would have been rather excited about the idea of getting to try on a full-on gown later – this was about the closest thing she would ever get to living akin to the fairy tales she once so cherished and admired, after all, even though those ideas in her head had gradually shattered, torn into bitter shards. Still, when was the last time she had actually donned an evening gown? Never!

It was going to be like playing the role of a princess.

But first…

Kyoko moved her arm lethargically across the side of her bed and fumbled along the opening of her clutch, before lifting her phone out. She scanned through the screen, and then glanced at the closed timber door of the suite. Ren was currently in the opposite room (so as not to disturb her rest), no doubt discussing and making further arrangements with Yashiro-san, his manager, about the Star Awards the following day. Even now Kyoko was having trouble processing just how big and incredible the awards show was supposed to be, and that she was going be a part of it with its (undoubtedly) main highlight: Tsuruga Ren, Japan's top actor.

Momose-san and Kijima-san.

She typed the name _Momose_ into the internet search bar on her smartphone, and then widened her eyes in shock as the resulting images poured out on display.

She was beautiful.

And even in that alone it was an understatement. Momose Itsumi was a female who had earned her right in the showbiz industry, and rightly so. She looked the part, for one thing. Kyoko continued scanning through the images on the phone, feeling taken aback and awestruck by what she saw. The tall golden-haired woman posed for the camera exactly like someone who knew how to work it (and she probably did), with her long shapely legs draped artfully over whatever she happened to be sitting on, revealing the startlingly creamy sheen of her thighs and calves. She looked ravishing and breathtakingly seductive in all her photo shoots, her large crystal blue eyes coy beneath her thick array of sooty (most likely false) lashes, her expressive mouth like delicate rosebuds. Her mane was silken gold, beautiful and shiny and flowing over her gently curved shoulders like amber satin.

This was the actress that Tsuruga Ren had so casually mentioned he had collaborated with?

Kyoko, with her heart in her mouth, typed _Dark Moon_ into the internet.

Said heart nearly stopped.

It was a romantic drama. Why was she even surprised, really?

And to top it all, Ren and Momose Itsumi had posed for promotional shoots for the drama series, and Kyoko, still feeling distinctly as if her pulse had stopped completely, stared at the images of Ren holding the actress securely in his arms, his dark eyes tender and soft as he gazed at the female's face right beneath his. She recognized and knew that soft look. She'd seen it tons of times – the way he seemed to smile gently with his dark, dark eyes, instead of with those sensuous lips of his. That tender affection, sometimes so overwhelming that Kyoko allowed herself, in the briefest of moments, to believe it was close to _love_.

It was how he often looked at her.

It seemed this was also how he looked at his co-stars in his films, be it on camera or even off camera. Though, as she browsed through the related articles, it seemed Dark Moon was Ren's first love drama.

But then again, why was Kyoko even shocked? Wasn't her relationship with Tsuruga Ren no different from a film, as well? A film with its own deadline, which was by the time he headed for Guam to film his (ironically) next drama, and she would then disappear, signaling the wrapping up of the little drama series that had been their relationship. And she would leave with what she had wanted from him from the very start: a child. There. The end. The curtains would come to a close by then.

Her small hand drifted to the top of her flat abdomen. So why was she so unhappy?

She didn't know why, but she kept on looking at her phone, even though every one of the photographs added more and more to her misery. There was one shoot in particular that made her heart lurch, and not in a nice way either, but she ignored the sickening sensation in her chest.

Ren was topless, clad only in long brown leather pants, and she could see the enthrallingly powerful, sleek, chiseled muscles along his naked sinuous back bared to the camera as he crouched atop the slender form of Momose lying on the ground, who was wearing nothing… but a pair of tiny lacy panties and what looked like an overlarge masculine blazer, the sides of the unbuttoned ebony silk open to teasingly flaunt the roundness of her barely hidden breasts along the center of her front. It wasn't hard to guess whose blazer it was supposed to be, with Ren topless and all. And it also wasn't hard to see that she had a lot going on in the bust area compared to Kyoko. Their faces were mere inches apart, and they gazed at each other before the camera, seemingly in an erotic world all on their own.

Biting her lips, Kyoko dropped her phone back into the clutch by the side of her bed and headed to the bathroom, feeling more tired than ever. Her footsteps were heavy and unenthusiastic on the velvet carpeted floor– her excitement about the dress-fitting later on had rapidly faded. She didn't want to play a part in this fairy tale, false and filled with deceit as it was. And it wasn't just his deceit too, it was also hers, and the knowledge was bitter and cold in her heart.

Even the place she was currently standing in was the premise of their little drama: a five-star hotel she had never ventured in, and probably would never again. Sighing, the bronze-haired girl screwed on the golden taps, and plunged her small hands into the cold chilly water that gushed out into the metal basin. She rinsed her face, needing the refreshing sensation from the water. Droplets of the crystal clear liquid landed on her chiffon dress, but she paid it no heed.

_You look very fetching in that dress, Mogami-san_.

Another deep sigh escaped her pale lips. Who was he kidding? With gorgeous women like Momose around, she looked like a dweeb in her attire. She'd probably look like a dweeb in whatever outfit she had on during the dress fitting too. Some women naturally looked like princesses, and the dress only complimented their regal appearances, bringing out and highlighting what was already there. And yet some other women – and she was sure she fell in that category – would always be plain, no matter what they wore. In some ways, she had to thank Sho for having given her a wake-up call; his constant insults and criticism towards her looks had stamped out all hopes in her to ever remotely resemble one of those beautiful stick-thin models he often had draped on his arms.

Or in Tsuruga-san's arms, either.

She ran a hand across her face, feeling uncharacteristically frustrated. When had she become so emotionally invested in all this? The petite female lowered the toilet seat, before plunking herself down onto the porcelain throne, needing a place to sit before her legs gave way on her.

She was feeling so very tired. Her eyelids was drooping, and she leaned against the cold, unforgiving wall, and closed her eyes. Perhaps the ache in her body would eventually go away…

As for her heart, she wasn't so sure.

Kyoko wasn't sure how long she had actually fallen asleep, and in the bathroom, no less, but she stirred drowsily as she eventually came to, realizing through dulled senses that she was lying back in the large bed. The softness beneath her was undeniable, but more than that, she felt warm, and not just because of the thick comforter draped atop her, either.

It was the warm long fingers laced through her hair, and the hard muscled yet overwhelmingly comforting body pressed against hers underneath the very same comforter.

"You're awake."

His baritone voice was gentle, and she shivered as she felt the deep reverberations run up the sides of her shoulder.

"Tsuruga-san?" she mumbled sleepily, her voice hoarse even to her ears.

"Yes," he murmured huskily in response, bringing her closer to him. She snuggled into him immediately, savoring the sensation of the hard planes of his chest against her shoulder. She felt comforted, protected, and at the same time the masculine warmth he radiated was making her increasingly heady.

"I'm a little worried about you," he spoke softly, dexterous fingers still laced in her hair, and they were now stirring soothingly along her scalp. "You fell asleep in the bathroom, of all places. You've been unusually tired lately."

She loved his skin. It was so warm and smooth, like ivory…

"You carried me here?" Kyoko asked drowsily, still not fully awake. What happened to the dress fitting? Weren't they supposed to go for it?

"Of course."

She pressed her head closer to his chest. She could feel his heartbeat drumming soothingly near her ear, and she cracked an eye open, realizing she had buried her face in his pectoral.

His bare pectoral.

He was topless.

Which, of course, was nothing new, Ren often undressed himself before he joined her in bed, and she had long gotten used to it, though seeing him in the nude without breaking out into a flush was still a slight challenge to her. This time, however…

Kyoko wrenched herself from him, nearly toppling over the edge of the poster bed. The memory of the Dark Moon photo shoot ripped through her mind once more.

His dark head rose, and he stared at her, looking bewildered and slightly concerned. "What's wrong?"

What was wrong? It was an interesting question indeed, since everything was wrong.

For Kyoko had become every bit an actress since the start of their relationship just as Tsuruga-san was an actor.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Once again, thank you to everyone who reviewed! There've been some controversial responses, and I'll address the most common issue that has been brought to my attention.

_Yes,_ it is possible for pregnancy to be detected within the first week. _Yes,_ it is also possible to suffer symptoms of pregnancy fatigue within the first week to the second week, as well as soreness of the body, specifically at certain parts (it might be rare, if one should insist, but definitely possible regardless at such an early stage). Notice that these are the few things that have been mentioned so far in this fiction. These facts are all supported by various scientific articles online on the internet.

Next, here's some news! You'll find as you gradually read the following chapters onwards along the story that there will be slight (well, maybe way more than slight, or just implied, I can't guarantee) dark themes, specifically regarding Tsuruga Ren. The best comparison I can give you using the canon manga counterpart of him is that of Kuon, also known as the well-hidden dark side of Ren. However, things will _not,_ of course, be the same as the manga, so don't worry for those who have no idea what I'm talking about. However, for those who do not like yandere themes, or themes alongside that dark vein of thought, do watch out! Reader discretion is advised.

And that's all there is I have to say. Thanks for reading, commenting, alerting (the fic), because every single bit counts so much to me! Thanks again!

* * *

><p>The air was charged as she stared at him, and he stared back. For a moment within the walls of the suite, perhaps for even less than a heartbeat, no one said anything, and the silence was empty but filled with words neither of them expressed. Perhaps it was then that she should have told him the truth: that there was <em>not <em>supposed to be love, that she wasn't supposed to be jealous, that she had chosen to be with him for the prospect of having a child she did not intend to share, that she was not supposed to fall for him, and that somewhere along the way – or maybe from the very beginning – she had failed in that aspect. Miserably.

And then that moment passed, and Kyoko hastily slammed down the sudden urge to spill to him everything. Instead, she clutched the sides of her wrinkled dress from where she was perched by the edge of the large bed, and hurriedly began speaking to quell the awkwardness.

"I'm sorry, Tsuruga-san!" she squeaked. "I'm just - I'm a little under the weather, you see, I'm sorry, I…" She sighed tiredly, and slowly relaxed back down onto the plush white bedding of the mattress. "I didn't mean to push you away, I wasn't thinking straight, is all…"

She suddenly jerked in surprise when his slender large hand reached out and gently brushed the copper spikes of her hair.

"Come back here," Ren said calmly, still in his original position. He hadn't moved from his spot on the bed at all, other than reaching for her. His fingers curled around her smaller ones, softly tugging.

Kyoko complied slowly, letting his dexterous long fingers guide her back towards his side, the comforter rustling at her graceless movements. She tried not to look at the naked wall of sleek abdominal muscles right where the sheets pooled around his narrow waist, but focusing on those intelligent liquid dark eyes was proving to be just as daunting.

Stiffly, she said nothing as his bare arms shifted and moved to wrap themselves around her small shoulders, before pulling the comforter back over her body. The warmth was more than welcoming, and she sighed slightly at the back of her throat, allowing her stiff body to ease.

She wanted to say something to break the silence, though. He hadn't showed much of a reaction to her weak attempt of an explanation just now, and it made her increasingly uncomfortable. There was no doubt that she had behaved weirdly (it was weird even to her, and that was saying something), and she felt slightly guilty for wrenching herself away from him like that with seemingly no proper explanation whatsoever.

But then again – wasn't she going to do just that to him within less than a month's time?

Kyoko bit her lip. It was fine. Ren wouldn't care… and why would he? With so many breathtaking (not to mention more than willing) women around like Momose in the showbiz world, it was, probably to him, like letting go of a troublesome pebble in exchange for several diamonds. In fact, what Kyoko wanted to know was what he was thinking, choosing this pebble even now, having had so many diamonds in the past. She wasn't sure if he'd dated Momose for real before off-screen (with an intimate photo shoot like that, along with the romance drama, did he truly not feel anything for her beyond the professionalism of their relationship?), but she knew that he had genuinely been with other models and actresses before, and those women of the latter had beauty to rival Momose's as well.

Kyoko squeaked in surprise when a long finger tipped her chin, bringing her face up to look into his. His obsidian eyes were narrowed.

"You're doing it again," he said.

"Doing w-what?" she stuttered nervously.

"Going off into your own world again," he answered simply, eyes still narrowed on her. His other arm remained wrapped around the thin curve of her bare shoulders, and she suddenly felt very naked, despite the fact that she was still wearing her dress, and that the length of her body was covered by the comforter. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing!" Kyoko blurted impulsively.

His narrowed eyes darkened, so that she could barely tell where his irises ended and where his pupils started.

"It might interest you to know that one of the perks of being an actor," Ren said softly, and the softness belied a danger she knew not to ignore, "is that I can tell, to a small extent at least, when someone is lying to me. So do let me repeat my question. What are you thinking about?"

Kyoko stared down at the thick white comforter stretched out over her torso and legs, feeling the quiet warmth of his solid grasp around her shoulders radiate through her skin. Her heart thundered despite the muted stillness of the atmosphere, and before she knew it, the maelstrom of emotions was bubbling and rising in her throat, and when she opened her mouth, they rushed out in the form of barely coherent words all strung together.

"I'm just so worried and confused and _scared_," she babbled. "The Star Awards is such a huge thing, and everyone is going to be talking about it, and the press is going to be talking about it, and everyone attending it happens to be big shots and celebrities, while I'm nothing! I'm going to be complete loser there! I don't want to put a damper to the event! If anything, I'm going to ruin Tsuruga-san's reputation by being your date, and you're obviously _the _star of the show, and I'm just a liability to your public image-"

"Enough," Ren said, still in the same low voice, and just as abruptly as the words had torn out of her mouth, she ceased talking.

One thing about Ren was that while he was gentle and tender and warm, he was also very frightening when he wanted to be.

He must had seen some of the fear in her expression, for his elegant features softened abruptly, and his hand moved to lift her small one, before bringing it near his face and brushing her bony knuckles against the perfect slant of his lips. She tried not to gasp; it felt as if fire was probing her sensitive skin, making her pulse erratic.

"I'm not angry," Ren said gently. "Not at you. So please don't look like that. I don't ever want you to look like that with me."

"T-Then what are you angry at?" Kyoko asked timidly.

"At the animal that destroyed you and what was left of your self-esteem," he replied simply, voice as chilly as the cold evening air outside. She flinched. His midnight eyes met her hazel ones intently. "Let me guess. _You're just a liability to my public image_. Fuwa Sho said those very words to you before?"

She flinched again, this time so violently it was impossible for anyone to miss it.

"It doesn't matter," Kyoko said hastily. "It's over now."

"Not in your heart, perhaps," he responded, just as matter-of-factly as before, and she knew that the open contempt in his tone was not directed at her, but rather at her ex. His gaze was becoming more piercing than ever, and it was hard to look away, especially after how she had, albeit indirectly, admitted to him that he had been right about Sho having used those words against her. "Or am I wrong?"

Kyoko tried to shift her hand away from his large one, feeling uncomfortably cornered, but he refused to relinquish his grip on her. "Tsuruga-san…"

He spoke, so suddenly that she ceased trying to disentangle herself from his hold.

"You are not, as you put it yourself, a 'loser'. You will not ruin my reputation because you are my date, and you," his eyes darkened even further, "are _not_ nothing. And you are most definitely not a liability to my public image. Do you understand?"

There was an abrupt glow of warmth filling in her chest, and she told herself that it was _not_ because of what he had said. No, no….

Tsuruga-san was a kind person. He always treated members of the female gender well, was gentle with them, and always made sure they never got hurt. That was what made him different from Sho, who was _not_ known to be very tender with his women. Oh, Sho would never physically hurt them, of course (there was still a limit to his cruelty, and he wasn't _that _bad, loathe as she was to admit) but he was no gentleman. He was no Ren. And Ren was kind and generous to all his past lovers, and this was a well-known fact. He wasn't Japan's number one most desired man for no reason.

He was a Casanova, indeed.

It was only natural that he would try to comfort her.

"Kyoko."

It took her several seconds to realize he was calling her by her first name, and the stunned girl looked up disbelievingly, and gazed at the intent midnight eyes boring into hers.

"If anything," he went on gently, "My public image is a liability to _you._"

Kyoko's large hazel eyes widened. "Tsuruga-san, what-"

"I'm not a fool," Ren said simply. "I know that the nature of my occupation gives you much stress, and that you are constantly pressurized about it, fearing public attention should it ever be directed to you. That's partly the reason why you wished to keep our relationship secret, isn't that so? I know, and I am sorry, Kyoko, for all the discomfort my status as an actor has given you."

Kyoko felt her heart clench in a mix of sorrow and pain. She was the one who should be apologizing to him, not the other way round. _Using him as her personal baby-make_r, Kanae had said to Kyoko, rather bluntly at that. Well, the small-time actress hadn't been wrong, had she? Kyoko had done just that, even if she was certain Ren didn't love her anyway, much less be committed enough to go so far as to start a family with her (Sho had taught her that most men were commitment-phobic), but it did not change the fact that she had deceived him. He cared for her no doubt, and that in itself was tremendous to Kyoko. She wasn't a romantic fool anymore, and she knew she was probably just another in his (very long) string of lovers, but he was still a very kind person and she didn't like tricking him.

She didn't like that he was apologizing for something that utterly wasn't his fault.

She was also finding his choice of words rather alarming. _Partly the reason_, he had said. It was as if he knew that wasn't the whole reason why she wanted to keep their dating status quiet… as if he knew more than he let on about her little scheme.

Kyoko told herself she was simply thinking too much. There was no way Ren knew anything; she was tired, her fatigue wasn't going away despite having fallen asleep so soundly just now, and her guilt was also consuming her, making her overly suspicious of everything.

"Tsuruga-san, please listen to me. It's not-"

"I'm not finished yet, Kyoko," he said, and she stilled, realizing that he was still calling her by her first name. "There are some things I admittedly haven't told you, such as why I want to make our relationship public tomorrow. You see, the Star Awards is a very special occasion to me."

"I know, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko insisted. "I know how important it is to you."

"No, you don't," he interrupted softly, but not unkindly. She stared at him, slightly taken aback. "You don't realize how exceptional tomorrow's event is to me. The reason for that is because tomorrow is a celebration of Dark Moon, which is by far the most personal drama I have filmed, and a drama that holds immense significance to me."

Kyoko found herself immediately trying to hold back the bitter taste growing in the back of her throat. The hot, putrid jealousy was rising like foul unwanted tar inside her, and she hated its existence, hated what it signified about her own feelings towards Ren. The beautiful image of Momose Itsumi flashed back in her mind, and she forcibly shoved it away.

The sudden knock on the timber door came as a relief to Kyoko, who did not want to hear any more of what Ren had to say. Each word he had uttered was like a dagger to her skin, and she quickly jerked away from Ren at the sound of the clear, sharp knocks. Ren let her go, and his head turned in open annoyance at the door, ebony locks falling across sensuously carved cheekbones. His lips in a tight line, he rose from the satin bed gracefully and began moving in long-legged strides towards it. Kyoko was relieved to note that he was wearing long tight trousers after all, though she made sure she looked away from the bare sinuous, muscled curve of his perfect back.

He opened the door, and Kyoko caught a glimpse of Yashiro, his manager, standing outside, attired in his impeccable suit. He looked apologetic and slightly sheepish, especially at Ren's state of undress. She turned slightly and took a look outside the window: the sun was setting, the dark golden rays sinking through the exotic windowpanes, and realized with dismay that she had slept throughout the entire afternoon. Just how tired had she been?

Turning again, she could hear Yashiro speaking in urgent low tones to Ren. It was hard for her to hear exactly what he was saying, but she managed to catch a few words.

"Her manager is furious-"

Ren interrupted him swiftly. "Perhaps we can take this outside. Allow me to get dressed first."

Yashiro inclined his head, understanding sweeping across his bespectacled features as he moved away from the doorway. "Of course. I'll be waiting in the next room."

The door closed, and Ren turned, and regarded Kyoko. There was a curious glint in his midnight gaze, but then it was gone, as if it had never been there. She wondered, once more, if her imagination was playing tricks on her. And then the usual gentle look returned to his eyes, and now it was his turn to look apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Mogami-san," he said, reverting back to their usual forms of address. Already he was picking up his expensive russet sweater from where it lay draped over the mahogany bed stand, and tugging it over his dark head. She found it hard to tear her gaze away from the way his bare hard biceps shifted sleekly alongside his supple movements. "There've been quite a number of pressing matters as of late due to the event."

"Of course it's fine, Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko said hastily, still sitting on the bed. "I'm sorry I hindered your work, if anything! Speaking of which, what happened to the dress fitting, though? I'm sorry I slept so much…" She felt heat rush to her cheeks at her admission.

He smiled tenderly, still tugging lightly at his sweater. The smile made her heart do somersaults in her chest.

Once he was done dressing, the tall male approached the bed and leaned over, long fingers reaching and brushing aside a loose strand of copper hair lingering at the side of her reddened face. "Actually, I'm glad you managed to get your rest. Why don't you rest for a bit more, and then afterwards we'll go down to have dinner? The dress fitting can take place later on into the evening, after you're fully rested and eaten."

"O-okay." She smiled forcedly back at him, trying to sound as quietly assured as he was, but the traitorous flush on her face was unwavering due to his close proximity. God, she was such a _dweeb_.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." Ren moved away at last, and strode over to the door, before opening it with a soft click. "And Mogami-san?"

"Y-yes?"

He smiled gently at her, and she felt her flush deepen. He spoke. "You didn't hinder my work." The smile turned thoughtful. "Quite the opposite, actually."

And then the door was closed, and he was gone.

* * *

><p>"Gorgeous… Absolutely gorgeous."<p>

Momose Itsumi smiled lightly as she looked down into her stylist's awed eyes, before glancing back at her reflection in the full-body mirror. In her mind, she could understand how her reflection could inspire such awe; the tall elegant female looking back at her from the crystal-glass mirror was the embodiment of delightful, seductive sin.

Her shiny, luscious gold hair had been swept to her right, where the glorious locks gathered and fell in a stylishly thick flow along the perfect curve down the side of her neck all the way to the generous swell of her breasts, where the dipping neckline of her strapless, provocative evening gown boldly exposed. The expensive gown itself was made of dripping sin; it was pure jet black silk, and so tight that Momose could feel it wrapped sleekly on every inch of her smooth skin. But it was absolutely worth it, for it clung to the voluptuous curves of her figure like a second raven skin, before pooling in an ebony silk pool around her feet. And her body, as tall and slender as a model's, was no less delightful than the dress she donned, for she was someone who worked out every week, diligently maintaining the body that was the product she sold to her entertainment agency.

Momose Itsumi was no fool. Being part of this business didn't change whether you were an actor, or a model, or a singer, or a television personality. One thing was most important: you had to look the part. You could have little to no talent in whichever aspect of the showbiz world you were in, but if you could sell yourself well, then that was all that was needed to rise in the business. Members of the entertainment industry were exactly as indicated: they were entertainers. Momose personally knew some other actresses whose flair for acting left much to be desired, but they had the ability to leave the ratings of their shows sky high.

She smiled, red lips rising.

It was all about being good at posing the part rather than working hard at the part. That was the trick.

Her smile abruptly faltered when another thought came to her mind. Tsuruga Ren.

Tsuruga Ren was different, however. He sold himself well, and he did and worked well in his part.

No one could deny his talented abilities in acting.

Her scarlet lips tightened slightly at the persistent thought of him. Her heavily mascaraed eyes drifted to a close, the dark curled lashes a striking contrast to her pale skin. She opened her eyes again, and took a deep breath, still looking at her mirror. The extravagant rubies gleaming from her ears and neck were a deep red, bringing out the glamour of her equally red lipstick.

"Of course she's gorgeous," another voice scoffed. Momose recognized her manager, Fuji Yuki's voice. "She was just named third in the Top Ten Sexiest Women in Japan for this year. This is from the Tokyo Times newsletter, no less!"

"Fuji-san," Momose admonished softly.

"I'm not wrong, am I?" Fuji said, smiling in satisfaction from where she stood not far from the actress. "It's good that you're modest, which is the kind of image that you need to show your fans, but there's nothing to worry about right here in our privacy. You deserve to acknowledge the rise in popularity you're currently having now."

"It was Dark Moon, isn't it?" The stylist wanted to know, as she made the final adjustments to the gown. "That was Momose-sama's breakout drama."

Momose said nothing for a short while, glancing into the mirror. It was true. Her previous dramas had done well, but they hadn't been an incredible ratings hit, even when she was playing the leading roles. She had always been known as a well-performing actress, but her popularity had never met the feverish pitch that was Tsuruga Ren's or Hidehito Kijima's.

Not until this year.

Another pause followed.

"Come on here for a bit," Fuji stated, beckoning the actress to a small round table near the door. "We have a few more minutes before we head out. I need to talk to you for a bit."

"Alright," Momose said, even though she had a pretty good idea what her manager was going to talk to her about. She glided from the front of the mirror to the table, her black stilettos moving gracefully against the carpeted floor, the hem of her gown swishing in a whip of silk. The stylist began clearing her things away.

"What is it?" Momose asked, lowering herself onto her seat, making sure she left no creases on the gown. The chandelier ruby earrings hanging from her ears swung daintily.

"How many awards has Dark Moon been nominated for tonight?" Fuji said abruptly in response, folding her arms over the front of her impeccable pantsuit. Momose noticed a bowl of grapes sitting on the table, and she took one out and popped it in her red mouth, more for a distraction than anything. "Was it eight? Nine?"

"It's thirteen," the actress replied warily, even though she knew that her manager knew the answer better than she did. Whatever reason Fuji was asking her this question for, it wasn't because she didn't know the answer to it.

"Thirteen," Fuji repeated clearly. She took a grape herself, before slowly sliding it through her lips. Just like everything she did, she chewed it with precision, and with unhurried deliberation. "Your past dramas didn't even get nominated for half of them for the Star Awards. You know that, don't you?"

Momose smiled softly. "Yes, I know."

"Dark Moon is your hit project, and you know it!" Fuji fired at her. "Ever since Dark Moon aired, things in Tokyo have been going crazy! Job offers are appearing at every corner for you, there've been more fan meetings arranged than ever before, magazines are publishing articles about you and Tsuruga Ren non-stop, and you've been invited for more interviews than I can count! More importantly, you and Ren – the top actor in Japan – have been called the Golden Couple by fans and the press alike!"

"I know that, Fuji-san," Momose said.

"Do you know why your popularity has skyrocketed this far?" Fuji demanded. "You're a brilliant actress, but for some reason you've only been recognized as one this year. Do you know why?"

"Because," Momose said in a gentle whisper, "I collaborated with Tsuruga Ren."

"That's right," Fuji said. She was holding onto another grape, but she didn't eat it, but simply tightened her fingers over the tiny fruit. "Your acting talent is incredible, Momose, and you know it. Tsuruga Ren was your opening to showcase that. And you know what, Momose?" She stared straight into the actress's baby blue eyes, hooded by the gorgeous curve of black mascaraed lashes. "You'll always be known as the first. No matter how many romance dramas Ren should act in in the future, no matter how many more actresses he could collaborate with, you will always be the first. It's because Dark Moon is Ren's first romance drama, and you are the first. I don't care how many dramas he's been in before, but this is his first romance drama, and everyone knows this."

Momose said, "Fuji-"

"So don't you ever undermine yourself," her manager interrupted fiercely. "Tonight is Dark Moon's night. It's supposed to be the night that belongs to the both of you: you, Japan's supposed-to-be next top actress, and Ren, Japan's top actor. It's the Golden Couple's night. So can you tell me why you're going with Kijima-kun as your date, and _not Ren_?"

The grape in the manager's hand was reduced to soggy mush in her fingers.

Bitterness suddenly welled up in Momose's chest, but she forced it away. "You know why, Fuji-san. He rejected me."

She was sure the manager had no idea how much admitting that fact hurt her; that it hurt her much more than it could ever hurt Fuji.

The manager stuffed the grape into her mouth, and then wiped her hands on a tissue from a tissue box offered by the stylist.

"I don't think you understand how important this is, Momose," Fuji said, more calmly this time. "Fans have gone mad seeing the romantic chemistry onscreen between the Golden Couple on Dark Moon. Imagine the madness that would ensue if they found out the Golden Couple was official off-screen as well. That what they've admired in fiction is finally happening in reality. Imagine the news that Tsuruga Ren and Momose Itsumi are dating off camera. Imagine the amount of publicity you've been getting… and imagine it double the amount it is now."

Momose looked down at her perfectly manicured hands, and uttered the words automatically from her lips. "You're just asking me to pull off a publicity stunt."

"Your career is one publicity stunt altogether," Fuji said bluntly. "Don't be naïve, Momose. You know it isn't just about his or her ability that makes a star popular. You should know this better than anyone. Why else haven't you been recognized for your brilliant acting until this year, where you began acting with the most famous man in Japan?"

"This isn't the point," Momose said with uncharacteristic frustration. "You think I don't want him? He doesn't want me!"

Fuji studied the flawless planes of the actress's face for a moment. "Are you sure that's the truth? All that intensity in the romance on Dark Moon… all that was truly as it is… an act?"

There was a short pause.

"It seemed so real," Momose said softly, and she slumped against her chair, a motion completely uncharacteristic of the normally graceful actress. Her crimson jewelry glowed undeterred underneath the amber glow from the ceiling lights. "You remember when he was facing difficulties in the beginning on set? When he couldn't seem to get himself together into playing Katsuki well, specifically the romance parts?"

"I remember," Fuji spoke carefully. "And then there was that change suddenly."

"Yes," Momose answered. Her gaze was distant. "I'd never seen anything like it. It was like he had completely fallen in love with me- I mean, with my character," she corrected herself quickly. "But it was so real, so genuine, so raw. It was…" She shook her golden head. "It was unbelievable. It blew me away. But I suppose that's why he's the best actor here."

"I don't think it was just acting," Fuji said slowly. "I think something happened, Momose. An inspiration, shall I say?"

Momose looked at her manager for a mute moment.

"And should I also say…" Her manager continued, her eyes unnaturally large. "That you were that inspiration?"

The actress had to struggle to hide the gleam of hope from showing on her face. It took every ounce of her acting experience to do that, and she kept her voice neutral as she answered. "That's ridiculous, Fuji-san. Why did he reject me then?"

"I'm not going to lie to you," Fuji responded briskly, leaning back against her chair. "I really don't know why he rejected you as his date tonight, especially for such an important night. But it's possible…" She tapped her chin with her French nails. "It's a publicity stunt, of sorts."

"That's crazy," Momose said incredulously. "Going with someone who's not his co-star on Dark Moon for the Star Awards? How is that a stunt?"

"You just said it," Fuji stated matter-of-factly. "People are going to talk, aren't they, when they find out about this? This is news too."

"But that's just so…" Momose shook her head again, her curled lashes blinking confusedly against her smooth skin. "Tsuruga-san doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do that."

"You trust people too much, Momose!" Fuji snapped. "Do you know what makes Tsuruga Ren so famous? It isn't just his acting abilities, my dear. You think he would never do something as lowly as pulling publicity stunts, do you? Well, that's exactly it. He pulls off stunts while playing the persona of a trustworthy, hardworking actor. He's acting even when he's not acting. That's his secret, Momose, and I think you should learn from that."

Momose bit her lip, and then quickly stopped herself. The last thing she wanted to do was mess up her makeup, even though her stylist was probably going to add the final touches on the way there in the car.

"Also, I've done research on his date for tonight," Fuji concluded.

She perked up. "Are you serious? I thought he hid her identity well!"

Fuji laughed. "Yes, it is true Ren has been very protective of his date's privacy. He's made clear orders to his management that nothing about her privacy is leaked to the media. He's been surprisingly protective, I'll give him that. But I have my sources. Do you know what I found out?"

Momose leaned forward eagerly by the edge of the table. "Who is it?"

"I don't know who she is, but I did find out this: she's not from this business."

"What?" The actress blinked. That was unexpected; Ren might be a known playboy, but he never ventured with anyone outside of the showbiz world. He'd dated actresses, some models, occasionally a singer, and even once he'd been with a female producer. But this… "Well, I suppose there's always someone new for him. Is she a famous lawyer or something? Or a doctor?"

"No, Momose, that's the shocker," Fuji said, lowering her voice and glancing at the stylist, who had pulled up another chair a couple of minutes ago into their conversation, and was also listening. "She's not famous. She's not famous for anything at all, not even for anything outside of the entertainment business either. She doesn't seem to have any money if I'm not wrong, and she's not even really a looker, I heard. She's just a… common person."

Both the stylist and Momose stared in shock at her manager.

"That's ridiculous," the stylist said scornfully. "How can that be? Was she his fan, or something? Maybe she's Tsuruga Ren's sympathy date, as a treat to a fan or something."

"No, she wasn't his fan," Fuji replied quietly. "I have no idea how they met."

Momose's red-nailed hands tightened into a small fist, and her usually gentle voice had hardened with hurt. "Ren rejected me… for her?"

Her manager reached over and pressed her hand over the actress's curled one. "That's why I'm telling you, Momose, don't you give up. If things are true like I heard, then you still stand a chance. You need this chance. This is too good to miss out on, and it's not just for the sake of your career. It would be an insult to you - and the Golden Couple - if you got stood up for some common girl, isn't it?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** As you can guess, Fuji Yuki is an OC that I created. I'm not sure if Momose Itsumi had an actual manager that was revealed in the manga, and if there is, please accept a thousand apologies from me for weaving an OC in my little piece of fanfiction!

Once again, thanks for reading, and do drop a review if you liked/disliked it.


End file.
